It's important to determine what level of computing technology you need for studying and working at the University of Saskatchewan. Some of your AgBio courses may require you to bring a personal laptop to class to complete exercises and assignments. Please see this list of recommendations to ensure you have the technology you need!

Hardware

Computing

We recommend the following minimum hardware specifications:

  • A laptop computer. A PC laptop with Windows 11 is recommended, but a Macintosh laptop running macOS 14 is acceptable. Tablets (e.g. running iOS, Android or ChromeOS) do not provide the support needed for software used in some of our courses.
  • Memory (RAM) 8GB
  • Disk space (SSD) 256GB
  • Video display 1024x768 pixels 
  • Web camera 720p
  • External speakers and microphone - a headset with Bluetooth or 3.5 mm audio plug connection
  • Wifi connectivity
  • Mouse (wireless may be more flexible) 

Most classrooms on campus do not have individual power connections for each student, and there may be few places where you can easily plug in your computer. We recommend that you get a battery with a long battery life once it's charged.

Software

Operating system

The minimum requirements for the operating system versions are Windows 11 and macOS 14. Older versions of the operating systems are not supported or will lose support from the vendor shortly.

Applications

Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office 365 is free and recommended for all AgBio students. As a USask student, you are eligible for Microsoft Office 365 licenses, and can download and install Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and other programs without cost. (This how to obtain your license and software.)

Course specific software will be outlined by your instructors.

Web browsers

Many of the university services provided to students require the use of a web browser.

There have been problems in the past related to browsers being incompatable with service content. The browsers that have had the most success are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, and those two are recommended. Safari and Internet Explorer have been reported to have problems with some sites, and are not recommended.

Smart phones

While we don't have minimum specifications for smart phones, we do recommend a smart phone for use on campus. Note that some instructors may request that you do not use smart phones in their classes.

A smartphone could be used in class work by:

  • Scanning documents (if you do an assignment by hand and have to submit it electronically, this is very useful.)
  • Use for second factor authentication (MFA)
  • Responses to class polls in PollEverywhere

While on campus, you can connect your phone to the campus wifi network (UofS-Secure) and do not need to use your data.